Confectionery fats from sal ( Shorea robusta) fat and phulwara ( Madhuca butyracea) butter

Abstract

Stearins from sal fat and phulwara butter were blended in selected proportions to obtain confectionery fats or cocoa butter extenders. The sal fat stearin was obtained by removing about 20% olein from sal fat by acetone fractionation at 15°C, and the phulwara butter stearin was obtained by two-stage acetone fractionation. In the first stage of phulwara butter fractionation, a small amount of stearin (equal to 10% by weight of butter) was removed from the phulwara butter. The resulting olein was further fractionated at 15°C to obtain stearin (yield 65% by weight of olein). The blends containing 75–85% of sal fat stearin and 15–25% of phulwara butter stearin had solidification properties and solid fat indices close to those of cocoa butter. These blends could be used as cocoa butter extenders. Cocoa butter extenders which impart a greater cooling sensation in the mouth were prepared by decreasing the proportion of sal fat stearin to 50–67% in the blend. The blends containing 50:50, 67:33, 75:25 and 85:15% of sal fat: phulwara butter stearins were compatible with cocoa butter when admixed even at equal proportions. The tolerances of the blends towards milk fat were similar to that of cocoa butter. Thus, a series of cocoa butter extenders or confectionery fats, having a narrow melting range and melting profiles similar to those of cocoa butter could be prepared by altering the proportion of sal fat and phulwara butter stearins in the blends.